Leonardo Sandri Cleric

Leonardo Sandri (born 18 November 1943) is an Argentine Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the current Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches in the Roman Curia, having previously served in the Apostolic Nunciature in the United States, as permanent observer of the Holy See before the Organization of American States, from 1989 to 1991. Was Apostolic Nuncio to Venezuela (1997–2000), Apostolic Nuncio to Mexico (2000) and Substitute for General Affairs (2000–2007). He was elevated to the cardinalate in 2007. The press named Cardinal Sandri as a papabile (a possible or likely successor for election to the Papacy) following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, effective 28 February 2013. However the conclave elected his fellow Argentine, Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, as successor of Peter.